Treatments Covered by Insurance

What kinds of treatments are covered by insurance? Insurance is accepted for the treatment of “disorders” or “diseases” ranging from cold, injury to cancer. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare recognizes underarm odor as a “disorder”. Large cosmetic surgery clinics usually don’t accept insurance, but some private cosmetic surgery clinics do accept insurance.

Insurance is accepted for plastic surgery procedures and operations. In some occasions, insurance is not accepted for minor cases of underarm odor and droopy eyelids. Please visit our clinic to confirm insurance coverage for the treatment of your condition. The first office visit is covered by insurance, even if the insurance does not cover your treatment itself.

Details of your treatment will not be known to your employer and family members. However, overall treatment cost might be informed to them. Confidentiality will be strictly maintained if the treatment is performed without insurance coverage.

The Sapporo Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Clinic is certified by the government as an insured medical institution. At our clinic, insurance is accepted for any treatment the government recognizes as a “disorder” or “disease”. We charge the fees determined by the government for the insured treatments. A patient can receive treatments under the same condition as the other medical institutions if he/she receives public assistance or he/she is a member of a single parent household. The government recognizes serious cases of underarm odor, droopy eyelids and inverted nipples as a “disorder”.

Reasons Why Insured Treatments are Affordable

Operation of medical insurance is based on the philosophy of mutual financial assistance for medical needs. The fees for insured medical treatments are based on the price list the government established. The fees for the same treatments are uniform throughout Japan. The procedures insured by the government cost less than cosmetic surgery. 70 % of the cost is paid from the national insurance fund, so patients pay only 30 % of the cost of each treatment. Medical providers receive less money, but enjoy tax benefits in return when patients use insurance for their treatments.

If an underarm odor elimination procedure is performed for both underarms with insurance coverage, the out-of-pocket cost for the patient is less than half of the cost of cosmetic surgery not covered by insurance. Cosmetic surgery patients are required to pay for the first and return office visits, and medications on top of their treatment fees.

Patients are required to pay for cotton gauze and tape used at home if the treatment is covered by insurance. (This is a rule set by the government.) Cotton gauze and tape can be purchased from a drug store or our clinic. Medication used at home is covered by insurance.